Signal Bats Weren't Enough as Tempers Flare!

So we batted great, we just stink at defense. The concept of catching the ball and making a nice, good throw to first base hasn't caught on yet.

The encouraging thing is that we've lost every game in the bottom of the third, by one run. We always have the lead and just can't hold it. Yesterday was no expection. We are up 10 to 8 bottom of the third and they scored two, then loaded the bases with two outs. 10-10 bases loaded, so I called a timeout and explained to the team that if the guy on third scored the game was over, so no matter who got it, throw it home.

Well the kid hits a little drippler to the pitcher and it was a foot race to home and the runner beat our pitcher. Game over.

But, that is not what everyone will be talking about though. You see the rules are. The play is not dead until the pitcher has the ball standing on the pitcher's mound. Until that moment you can run all you want to. It is also a courtesy rule that since we all know that our catcher's don't really have a clue whats going on you don't send a kid home if the ball is in the infield. If it's an overthrown ball sure, send em, but if you have a guy second and the ball is hit to the pitcher and he throws it to first and the runner advanced from second to third then you assume if the first basement caught it, that in real baseball he could throw you out if you sent the kid on third home. That's the courtesy rule.

It is abused?.....heck yeah!! We send em home and so do the other teams! Shoot, in a league where you can score 8 or 9 runs in an inning and lose a lead that big just as quick, you send em' home baby! This ain't kid stuff! This is BASEBALL!!

Anyway, what happen was they had a kid on second and the ball was hit to the pitcher. The pitcher throws the ball to the firstbaseman, who catches the ball, but is bumped by the runner and trips over the bag, but holds onto the ball. The runner is out!

However, the runner on second safely made it to third and seeing that our first baseman, wasn't paying attention, but basking in the moment of glory, the coach sent the kid home. Of course he scores and they are happy. Good call Coach! I salute you.

Anyways, one of my dad's that is helping out on the field (This guy is really intense. He is like a marine or something) gets rubbed by this and starts yelling at the other coach. The other coach ignores it and is getting ready to pitch to the next batter. Well, the dad keeps on and finally the coach turns around and confronts him. So, I have not an assistant coach verbally attacking the other team's coach on the pitchers mound, but a volunteer dad. Who I asked to help out!

I go running over there to try to intervene and they are by this time yelling loudly at each other. I am not confrotantion! Well, I jumped in the middle of them and told the dad to lower his voice and we'll talk about this later. The umpire gets there and is asking questions, because he is from Holland and really doens't have much of an idea about the rules of baseball, and the dad finally sees he is fixing either to get thrown off the field by me or the umpire and says, "f&*^ it I'm leaving!"

The coach is still ticked so he begins giving me a piece of his mind and I agreed with him! It took a moment for him to calm down, but I finally convinced him we were on the same side of the issue and he needed to stop yelling in front of the kids.

Finally, the inning was over and I talked with the dad and told him that he had better check his super-competitive spirit at the gate next time he comes or he won't be watching his son play at all. Yeah, he didn't take me seriously. Figures.

So, all that said I had an angry parent on the sidelines the rest of game rallying the other parents for his cause. Then, we lose by ONE point. One point! So you know what he says to me at the end of the game, "yeah, thats the kind of crap I'm talking about."

I could've hit him. Good thing there were kids around, because if I had hitten him......he would have killed me.

Ending on a happy note: If you want to see more pics from the game check out our photo album to your right.